• The African Development Bank states that regional power integration is essential for reliable, affordable, and scalable electricity in Africa.
• Mission 300 can only succeed if national energy plans align with regional master plans and if utilities are financially strong and well governed.
• Africa will attract private investment and lower electricity costs by building interconnected power markets rather than isolated national systems.

The African Development Bank has issued a strong call for African governments and investors to prioritise regional power integration as the continent’s most decisive lever for accelerating energy access, lowering costs, and unlocking large-scale private investment. Speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Investment Forum in Rabat, Morocco, the Bank’s Head of Energy said that fixing national utilities and aligning national and regional master plans will determine whether Africa can achieve its ambition of universal, reliable, and affordable electricity under the Mission 300 initiative.

According to the AfDB, the path to success begins with the fundamentals: financially stable, creditworthy utilities capable of paying their bills and honouring contracts. Without that, the Bank argues, neither a national market nor a regional market can function, let alone attract long-term private capital. “Regional integration begins with fixing the utility. It is the foundation of everything. Once utilities are strong, power pools can set the rules, countries can trade, and we can finally benefit from economies of scale,” the Bank’s energy head said.

The reminder comes as Mission 300—a continent-wide effort to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030—continues to gain momentum, with seventeen national energy compacts now at various stages of preparation and implementation.

These compacts outline each country’s pathway to universal access, but the AfDB insists that they must be viewed as interdependent, not isolated national agendas. Mission 300’s second pillar, regional integration, was designed expressly to ensure that national plans align with existing regional power pool master plans, most of which have been approved by ministers and heads of state.

The argument for integration is both practical and strategic. Africa’s energy resources are unevenly distributed. Guinea, for example, has claimed to possess over 6,000MW of hydroelectric potential and already exports hydropower to Gambia and Senegal. Lesotho is developing additional hydropower capacity and transmission lines to become a net exporter of clean energy within two years.

Côte d’Ivoire has consolidated its position as a regional power supplier, underpinned by rapid grid expansion and a presidential decree establishing a dedicated institutional framework for its national energy compact. In contrast, countries such as Comoros, with limited domestic resources, see regional interconnections as essential for securing long-term energy stability.

This diversity, AfDB officials argue, is precisely why regional power pools matter. By synchronising grids, pooling resources, and coordinating investment, countries can reduce generation costs, improve reliability, and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy. The Bank warns that the alternative is a fragmented landscape of small, isolated national systems that struggle to attract investment and remain vulnerable to climate shocks and fuel price volatility. Public investment in transmission infrastructure is particularly critical, as private developers are generally reluctant to finance cross-border lines.

The discussions in Rabat also highlighted the broader ecosystem emerging around Mission 300. The Rockefeller Foundation stressed that private capital will only flow once governments translate national ambitions into commercially structured, bankable projects supported by credible data and geospatial planning.

TCX, which provides currency-hedging instruments, warned that foreign-currency power purchase agreements can undermine utility solvency and household affordability, urging countries to adopt hybrid or local-currency frameworks. The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet emphasised the need for strengthened delivery capacity within countries. At the same time, UNDP outlined its support for policy reform, investment readiness, and de-risking mechanisms across more than 40 African nations.

Despite these efforts, the AfDB believes the key to unlocking Africa’s energy future remains clear: close collaboration among governments, financiers, and regional institutions. The Bank reiterated that regional alignment is the only realistic way to scale renewable power, secure supply stability, and underpin industrialisation on the continent. “We must guarantee power supply security while we transition to renewables,” the Bank’s energy head said. “Regional trade, cross-border networks, and aligned master plans are the only way to do this at scale.”

As the Africa Investment Forum positions the continent as a destination for global capital, the AfDB’s message resonates across boardrooms and ministries alike: Mission 300 will not succeed through national efforts alone. Africa’s real breakthrough will come when its power systems operate not as 54 disconnected grids, but as a single, integrated African market capable of delivering clean, reliable, and affordable energy to all.

Idriss Linge